Ipswich Town's Ali Al-Hamadi takes aim at Norwich City and Jonathan Rowe | OneFootball

Ipswich Town forward Ali Al-Hamadi has taken aim at Norwich City winger Jonathan Rowe after the Canaries were knocked out of the Championship play-offs by Leeds United.

Scores were level after a stalemate in the first leg at Carrow Road but Norwich's promotion hopes quickly unraveled on Thursday evening and David Wagner's side would slump to a 4-0 defeat that ends their season.

Ilia Gruev calmed Elland Road nerves by sneaking a free-kick past Angus Gunn at the near post to put the hosts ahead in the seventh minute and Joel Piroe, on his return to the starting XI, double the deficit in the 20th minute.

The Canaries had chances of their own, with Josh Sargent denied by Illan Meslier and Rowe making some surging runs, but when Georginio Rutter grabbed a third with five minutes left of the first half, the tie looked over.

Crycencio Summerville capped things off midway through the second half with his 21st goal for the 2023/24 campaign to seal the Canaries' heartbreak.

Ali Al-Hamadi offers mocking response to Jonathan Rowe

This season has seen the fierce rivalry between Norwich and Ipswich renewed, with Town back in the Championship after a few years down in League One.

While the Canaries maintained their long-running unbeaten record against the Tractor Boys in 2023/24, it's the Suffolk club that have had the last laugh as they're preparing for a long-awaited return to the Premier League and Wagner's side are set for another season in the Championship.

One of Ipswich's January recruits was keen to offer a reminder of just that on social media last night. Al-Hamadi took to X to provide a mocking response to a message that Rowe sent after Norwich beat their local rivals in the East Anglian derby back in April.

Question marks over the future of key figures at Norwich City

Norwich's defeat in the play-offs looks like it could kick-start something of a Carrow Road exodus.

According to The Sun, Wagner has been sacked after failing to win promotion back to the Premier League with sporting director Ben Knapper on the lookout for a more progressive coach.

The German coach is unlikely to be the only summer exit as a number of the Canaries key players will be of interest to other clubs and may not fancy another season in the Championship.

Rowe has been linked with a Premier League move after an eye-catching breakthrough season in the first team.

Midfield maestro Gabriel Sara is another that will surely have suitors. The Brazilian has reportedly caught the attention of Crystal Palace and bagged 14 goals and 13 assists in the Championship in 2023/24.

Meanwhile, in a fairly barren striker market a centre-forward like Josh Sargent, who found the net 16 times this term despite injuries, will be worth a significant fee and is thought to be on both Wolves and Brentford's radar.

Adam Idah, who has impressed on loan at Celtic and is being linked with a multi-million-pound move north of the border, is another that will likely depart.